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‘Peepli Live’ co-director Farooqui convicted for raping US woman

Mahmood Farooqui, the co-director of ‘Peepli Live’ was
convicted of raping a US woman by a court on Wednesday. The court will decide
the term of sentence on August 2. The Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain
convicted Farooqui for rape.

When the judgement was pronounced Farooqui was present in
the court with his wife, film director and screenwriter Anusha Rizvi, and his
friends. He was out on bail. Immediately after the verdict, court ordered
police to take Farooqui into custody.

The incident dates back to 2015. The victim was in India related to her Phd
work when the incident took place. The incident took place at Farooqui’s
resident in south Delhi’s Sukhdev Vihar on March 28.

According to the victim’s statement, Farooqui was under the influence of
alcohol when he raped her after a party.

"An American national woman was raped by the co-director of the film
'Peepli Live'. The incident took place on March 28, 2015, and a report in this
connection was registered with the New Friends Colony police on June 19,
2015," a Delhi Police official told IANS.

"The accused Mahmood Farooqui has been arrested and was presented
before Saket court. The court has sent him into judicial custody till July
6," added the official.

However, Mahmood Farooqui’s wife Anusha Rizvi, who also co-directed ‘Peepli
Live’ with her husband, claimed the allegation “manipulated and false”.

The victim was introduced to the director by a common friend. She was
collecting information about her research theme based on Baba Gorakhnath.
Farooqui took advantage of her situation and allegedly raped her.

“The victim left India immediately and dropped Farooqui a mail expressing
her anger at the rape. Farooqui apologised to her in a reply mail,” said a
source. The apology mail is apparently two pages long.

The woman told the police that she also contacted Rizvi through a mail and
she apologised to her for husband’s act and promised her justice. But when no
action was taken for so long, the woman approached the US embassy, which in turn
contacted the Delhi Police.

Farooqui was subsequently arrested and sent to judicial custody till July
6.

Farooqui and his wife Rizvi co-directed the 2010 satirical comedy film
'Peepli Live', produced by Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan.